Company description

Front Porch Farm is a 110-acre organic farm located on the Russian River in the Northern California town of Healdsburg. A diverse market farm, Front Porch grows vegetable crops, heritage grains, fruit trees, wine grapes, and last but not least, two acres of specialty cut flowers. Nearly all year round we are pulling flowers from our fields and hoop houses; from the bulbs, sweet peas, and poppies in the early spring to the chrysanthemums, tuberose, and garden roses in the late fall, and over 100 varieties in between. With ecological farming principles at the heart of what we do, we strive to be responsible stewards of the land and see our flower program as one way in which to do so.

Job description

This year, we are excited to add a new educational element to our flower program in the form of our Flower Apprenticeship. The Flower Apprenticeship is a six-month full-time farm immersion program, in which apprentices will partake in every aspect of the flower farm life, from fieldwork to marketing to floral design. Apprentices will work alongside the lead flower farmers who will provide comprehensive instruction to compliment the work at hand.

Compensation and Accommodations

Apprentices will be provided with rustic yet charming accommodations on the farm. These tent cabins form a community living space for a cohort of 3-5 apprentices. The group will share an outdoor shower and kitchen.

Apprentices will be paid an hourly rate of $10/hour (40-50 hours/week). The costs of rent ($600/month) and instruction ($100/month) will be deducted from their paychecks. Apprentices can expect to be engaged on the farm full-time from April 3 to October 30.

Apprentices are also welcome to eat their fill of our excess organic produce from the farm.

The Ideal Candidate

The flower apprenticeship is geared toward individuals who have a sincere interest in learning the ins and outs of ecologically sound flower farming. While no formal farming or floristry experience is required, we are seeking those who have demonstrated success in a hardworking, community-oriented environment.

Our farm prides itself on the health of our greater farm community. We are looking for team players who are interested in fully participating in all parts of farm life, whether that means helping out with general farm events, working some weekends, or playing (or cheering) on the farm softball team. Our community is bilingual and multicultural, and some of our farm’s core values are inclusivity and connection across these lines.

Must have previous experience performing physical labor, completing dirty tasks, and persevering through uncomfortable conditions.

About our Staff:

Zoe Hitchner has been farming flowers for the past 5 years after completing the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at the UCSC Farm and Garden, including a second year apprenticeship under horticulturalist Orin Martin. Previously, she spent many years working at a flower shop, which built the foundation of her floral design skills. Zoe is the lead flower grower at Front Porch Farm.

Joella Simons–Adkins worked with native plant propagation, native habitat restoration, and community farming before joining Zoe at Front Porch Farm to assist in flower production.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, under $15/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

January 31, 2017